Respiratory System§ 4.97Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6829Drug-induced pulmonary pneumonitis and fibrosis

Rated from 10% to 100% under § 4.97. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 100%

    Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) less than 50-percent predicted, or; Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide by the Single Breath Method (DLCO (SB)) less than 40-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation, or; cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension, or; requires outpatient oxygen therapy

  2. 60%

    FVC of 50- to 64-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 40- to 55-percent predicted, or; maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation

  3. 30%

    FVC of 65- to 74-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 56- to 65-percent predicted

  4. 10%

    FVC of 75- to 80-percent predicted, or; DLCO (SB) of 66- to 80-percent predicted

How it is applied

General rating formula

General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease (diagnostic codes 6825 through 6833)

Drug-Induced Pulmonary Pneumonitis and Fibrosis (VA Diagnostic Code 6829)

Respiratory System · 38 CFR § 4.97

What This Condition Is

Drug-induced pulmonary pneumonitis and fibrosis is a lung condition in which certain medications trigger inflammation of the lung tissue (pneumonitis) and, over time, scarring (fibrosis). As lung tissue becomes inflamed or scarred, it can become harder for the lungs to move air and transfer oxygen into the bloodstream.

The VA evaluates this condition under Diagnostic Code 6829, using the General Rating Formula for Interstitial Lung Disease. This means the rating is based largely on measurable lung function tests rather than symptoms alone.

How the VA Measures It

When rating this condition, the VA looks at objective results from pulmonary function testing and related evaluations, including:

  • Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) — the amount of air you can forcefully exhale, expressed as a percentage of what is predicted for someone like you.
  • Diffusion Capacity of the Lung for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO (SB)) — how well oxygen passes from your lungs into your blood, measured by the single breath method and expressed as a percentage of predicted.
  • Maximum exercise capacity — measured in oxygen consumption (ml/kg/min), particularly when there is a cardiorespiratory limitation.
  • Cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension — heart or blood-pressure changes in the lungs related to the lung condition.
  • The need for outpatient oxygen therapy.

Available Rating Levels

RatingWhat the VA Looks For
100%FVC less than 50% predicted; or DLCO (SB) less than 40% predicted; or maximum exercise capacity less than 15 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation; or cor pulmonale or pulmonary hypertension; or requires outpatient oxygen therapy.
60%FVC of 50% to 64% predicted; or DLCO (SB) of 40% to 55% predicted; or maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation.
30%FVC of 65% to 74% predicted; or DLCO (SB) of 56% to 65% predicted.
10%FVC of 75% to 80% predicted; or DLCO (SB) of 66% to 80% predicted.

Key Takeaways

  • Ratings range from 10% to 100%, based on the severity of lung function loss.
  • The word "or" in each level matters: meeting any one of the listed measurements at a given level can support that rating.
  • Because the criteria rely on test results like FVC and DLCO (SB), accurate and current pulmonary function testing plays a central role in how this condition is evaluated.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.97, diagnostic code 6829. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 6829 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Respiratory System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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